http://tc.eserver.org/authors/McGovern,_Gerry A bibliography of works by McGovern, Gerry in the field of technical communication. en-us Copyright (c) 2005-08 by the EServer. All rights reserved. tclib-editorial@eserver.org (TC Library Editorial Board) webmaster@eserver.org (Geoffrey Sauer) http://tc.eserver.org/images/newlogo.gif http://tc.eserver.org/dir/McGovern,_Gerry http://tc.eserver.org/35631.html http://tc.eserver.org/35631.html Websites are generally designed by dogs. There’s a lot of optimism. The dogs look at the website and think of it as an endless attic. No matter how much stuff you into it, there’s always room for more. The dogs approach each design step with a ‘have gigabytes, must fill’ enthusiasm. And then cats have to manage the website. The dogs let everyone publish and the cats are certainly not going to review all this stuff. The dogs created an architecture where everyone can find everything and now nobody can find anything. The cats shake their heads. http://tc.eserver.org/34018.html http://tc.eserver.org/34018.html Web 2.0 and social media mean that for teachers a declining part of their job involves telling. An increasing part is listening to the class and facilitating them in having conversations. Teachers should help moderate these conversations and draw new learnings from them. They need to say less of: ‘let’s open up a book.’ and more of: ‘let’s open up a conversation.’. The traditional manager is taught to command and control. Web 2.0 challenges that model. http://tc.eserver.org/33947.html http://tc.eserver.org/33947.html The words we use when we search are not always the words we like to read when we arrive at a website. Over the years, I have discovered that the way we think and the words we use when we search give strong clues as to what we want, but only clues. The words that will help us complete the task we came to the website to complete can be subtly-and sometimes substantially different-to the words we used when searching for it. http://tc.eserver.org/33443.html http://tc.eserver.org/33443.html Personalization has rarely been implemented well. Its failure is usually because of a lack of understanding of customer behavior. http://tc.eserver.org/33258.html http://tc.eserver.org/33258.html Many websites are still publishing content that is not core to their business. The justification is that such content will indirectly deliver benefit. This is not a good idea. Focus on the content that is directly applicable to your organization’s objectives. Any other content confuses. It wastes time and money. http://tc.eserver.org/33259.html http://tc.eserver.org/33259.html The Santa Claus approach to content management creates a content management software wish list. It believes in the magic of technology to sweep away any and every problem. Typically, those who believe in Santa don't believe in defining their processes, or figuring out just why they need a website in the first place. http://tc.eserver.org/33264.html http://tc.eserver.org/33264.html There are two types of people involved in websites today: those who see content as an asset, and those who see it as a commodity. The latter better start looking for a new career. http://tc.eserver.org/33265.html http://tc.eserver.org/33265.html Many university websites are poorly organized, and filled with out-of-date content that has been directly published from print. Delivering a better service to students and staff faces challenges because of decentralized management structures and concepts such as academic freedom. http://tc.eserver.org/33266.html http://tc.eserver.org/33266.html What's really important to measure for your website? Firstly, you need to measure how successful you are at creating, editing and publishing content. These are your web content management processes. Secondly, you need to measure reader behavior. There will also be some core website performance issues to measure. This week, I'd like to examine key web content management process measurables. http://tc.eserver.org/33267.html http://tc.eserver.org/33267.html Are the people who have least to say in your organization publishing most on your intranet or public website? Are the people who have most to say publishing least? You're not alone. Organizations are slowly realizing that managing a website is as much about what you don't publish as what you do. http://tc.eserver.org/33268.html http://tc.eserver.org/33268.html Management is the pursuit of the best way. Content is an increasingly important resource and activity within organizations. It is time it was professionally managed. http://tc.eserver.org/33269.html http://tc.eserver.org/33269.html Large websites often struggle to develop an efficient and cost-effective publishing model. Centralizing publishing ensures a consistent quality of what is published, but is often slow and frustrating. Decentralized publishing is faster and often more cost-effective, but can result in inconsistent quality, unless rigorous publishing standards are adhered to. http://tc.eserver.org/33270.html http://tc.eserver.org/33270.html Frederick W. Taylor, in his book, The Principles of Scientific Management (1911), wrote about how waste in activity was a greater problem than material waste. He wrote about planning, organizing, training, management and measurement, as ways to address the problem. Today, we require a new form of Taylorism; one that addresses efficiency in content publishing. http://tc.eserver.org/33275.html http://tc.eserver.org/33275.html Every day there is tremendous work being done on the Web. Talented, dedicated people are working with limited resources and support to achieve brilliant results. If you’re one of those people struggling to achieve the recognition you need, take a moment to take a bow. http://tc.eserver.org/33276.html http://tc.eserver.org/33276.html You must be able to stand over everything that is published on your website and say that it is all accurate and up-to-date. Trust is a fundamental building block of professional web content management. http://tc.eserver.org/33277.html http://tc.eserver.org/33277.html This is the year when web content comes of age. Organizations will slowly stop viewing content as some cost that needs to be managed. Instead, they will begin to see content as an asset that can drive profits and productivity. A new role will emerge within many organizations: the publisher/editor. http://tc.eserver.org/33278.html http://tc.eserver.org/33278.html Personalization hasn't worked because most people don't have a compelling reason to personalize. It hasn't worked because the cost of doing it well usually significantly outweighs the benefits it delivers. It hasn't worked because managers have seen it as some Holy Grail of content management. http://tc.eserver.org/33279.html http://tc.eserver.org/33279.html Websites change the way an organization communicates with its staff, customers, investors and general public. A change in communication is a major shift for the organization. To effectively implement such a change will take time. You need a five-year plan for your website. http://tc.eserver.org/33280.html http://tc.eserver.org/33280.html When something is new, we need to approach it in an exploratory manner. We need to experiment and try things out. And so it has been with the Web. That period is now over. We need to move from seeing our websites as a series of projects, to managing them as a well-planned process. http://tc.eserver.org/33281.html http://tc.eserver.org/33281.html Most organizations don’t need content management software. Unless you have a very busy website with lots and lots of content being published, the return on investment is not there. The majority of those who do require such software need a very simple, streamlined solution. http://tc.eserver.org/33282.html http://tc.eserver.org/33282.html Information technology has become the Trojan Horse of information overload. It has been invited into the organization as some magical gift that will bring greater efficiency and reduced cost. Once inside, it feeds on resources and spews out unimaginable quantities of low quality data. Information technology has become the problem. The solution is to invest in people again. http://tc.eserver.org/33222.html http://tc.eserver.org/33222.html People are impatient on the Web. They are function and task orientated. They want to get things done as quickly as possible. The average person is still accessing the Web over a 56 KB modem. You should therefore have a major focus on 'light' webpages if you want to increase reader-satisfaction. http://tc.eserver.org/33202.html http://tc.eserver.org/33202.html An average person can deal with only 7-10 choices on a web page, according to Google research. That's why it's so hard to get a link on the Google home page. http://tc.eserver.org/33162.html http://tc.eserver.org/33162.html Well-managed websites tend to be those that are narrow in their focus. They do a few things really well rather than attempt to do lots and lots of things. http://tc.eserver.org/33167.html http://tc.eserver.org/33167.html The Web is about self-service. To achieve success in self-service you need to really understand how your visitors think and behave. If they are to serve themselves they must feel comfortable and confident. That requires getting to know their needs in a comprehensive manner. It requires an ongoing conversation with them. http://tc.eserver.org/33168.html http://tc.eserver.org/33168.html In an age when technology is everywhere, those who understand how technology works are easy to find. Those who understand how people work are much harder to find. http://tc.eserver.org/33064.html http://tc.eserver.org/33064.html A way to measure return on investment (ROI) for your intranet is to answer two basic questions. How does the intranet increase the level and quality of communication? How does it replace traditional forms of communication? To develop such an ROI model, you need to be clear on the current level and type of communication within your organization. http://tc.eserver.org/33068.html http://tc.eserver.org/33068.html An intranet can deliver return on investment (ROI) by either reducing the cost, or expanding the ability, to communicate. By shifting manual processes to the intranet, the cost of accessing and processing information is reduced. The intranet speedily delivers information to large numbers of people. This gives the organization a greater capacity to change. http://tc.eserver.org/33076.html http://tc.eserver.org/33076.html More and more intranet teams are buying into the need for usability. However, usability is not a strategy, and without a clear strategy, usability can become a pointless, wasteful and counter-productive exercise. http://tc.eserver.org/33077.html http://tc.eserver.org/33077.html The natural home of the intranet is in communications. However, intranet management requires particular skills that many traditional communications departments don’t have. http://tc.eserver.org/33081.html http://tc.eserver.org/33081.html A single website is more connected and credible. It is more consistent and cost effective. It is easier to manage and measure. Multiple websites weaken the potential power of the overall organization on the Web. http://tc.eserver.org/33083.html http://tc.eserver.org/33083.html Many intranets are only now beginning to show their true potential. However, many staff, having had unsatisfactory previous experiences of the intranet, may need quite some convincing that the intranet is now genuinely useful. http://tc.eserver.org/33099.html http://tc.eserver.org/33099.html Finally, organizations are getting serious about how they manage their intranets. The intranet is now moving out of an evolutionary, experimental phase into a more systematic, managed phase. It is being seen as an asset, a driver of productivity. However, return on investment measurement for the intranet still requires a lot of work. http://tc.eserver.org/33100.html http://tc.eserver.org/33100.html The intranet is beginning to restructure the organization in more ways than one. Content is now an asset, and the people who manage it need to treat it as such. Managing editors, and their team, understand how technology can facilitate effective publishing, collaboration and self-service focused application development. http://tc.eserver.org/33101.html http://tc.eserver.org/33101.html There is a view in some organizations that an intranet is only for staff, so you can publish what you want. Quality content matters as much on an intranet as on a public website. Get your content right to begin with. Keep it right by removing out-of-date content. http://tc.eserver.org/33102.html http://tc.eserver.org/33102.html Intranets don't self-organize. Without planned, centralized information architectures and clearly defined published processes, they become unproductive. Intranets often have applications that either don't work properly, are too difficult to learn, or have no clear business benefit. Applications, like content, must be able to establish a clear return on investment. http://tc.eserver.org/33027.html http://tc.eserver.org/33027.html When it comes to the Web, there is nothing more misunderstood than metadata. Technical people search vainly for a way to automate its creation. Many editors and writers want nothing to do with it. And yet without quality metadata a website cannot properly achieve its objectives. It’s time to get serious about metadata. http://tc.eserver.org/33032.html http://tc.eserver.org/33032.html Metadata is one of the most misunderstood aspects of content management and website design. Editors and writers tend to look at it as a technical issue. Technical people look for a software solution. Both are wrong. Metadata is a fundamental skill that web writers and editors must acquire. http://tc.eserver.org/33033.html http://tc.eserver.org/33033.html Creating great metadata for your content begins with understanding who your reader is. What is the metadata they look for when they read a page of your content? What are the type of words they use when they search for your content? When scanning your classification, what are the "trigger words" that will make them want to go deeper into your website? http://tc.eserver.org/33035.html http://tc.eserver.org/33035.html The shift in how search engines treat keywords is significant. They tend to ignore the keyword metatag and rather look for keywords in the actual page content. This means that you need to figure out your keywords before you write any content. Then, you include them throughout your content, particularly in headings and summaries. http://tc.eserver.org/33039.html http://tc.eserver.org/33039.html Writing for the Web requires careful planning. Your content needs to fit well within the context of your website. When a reader finds your content, they need to be able to scan it quickly. That's what metadata is about. In order for your website to be found, you need to write for how people search. http://tc.eserver.org/32971.html http://tc.eserver.org/32971.html The best websites are highly functional. They are task-focused. Graphic design has an important, though limited role. Don’t try and force the Web to be what it’s not. http://tc.eserver.org/32987.html http://tc.eserver.org/32987.html Websites are very measurable. However, reams of data can be time consuming and confusing. The knack is to know what is really important to measure. This includes the following: reader actions; reader numbers; most and least popular pages; subscribers; external links; search keywords; page size; broken links and malfunctioning processes. http://tc.eserver.org/32988.html http://tc.eserver.org/32988.html Do you base success on measuring the volume of visitors and page impressions? Such measures may in fact reflect the failure--rather than the success--of your website. http://tc.eserver.org/33003.html http://tc.eserver.org/33003.html The science of content management begins with a deep understanding of your customer. The Web is more likely to push your customer away than to bring them closer. http://tc.eserver.org/33013.html http://tc.eserver.org/33013.html The key revolution of the Web is customer empowerment and engagement. The Web empowers the customer more than it empowers the organization. The implications are enormous. http://tc.eserver.org/32936.html http://tc.eserver.org/32936.html The number of hours worked by American couples has increased by more than 10 percent in the last 25 years," according to USA Today (December 17, 2003). Monster's 2003 Work/Life Balance Survey found that 83 percent of people are not satisfied with their job, while 80 percent are not happy with their work/life balance. http://tc.eserver.org/32534.html http://tc.eserver.org/32534.html Organizations are in urgent need of professional review processes for their intranets and public websites. Out of date content is growing year by year, and there are many horror stories about out-of-date content waiting to happen. It’s time for management to get serious and professionally manage their websites. http://tc.eserver.org/32458.html http://tc.eserver.org/32458.html Practical and functional websites rarely win prizes for design but they do win sales and make profits. http://tc.eserver.org/29809.html http://tc.eserver.org/29809.html I'm all for formulaic writing. I love hierarchies and classification. I'm all for measuring content. There is a 'right' way to write content. Sure, it may not be the 'perfect' way, it may not be the way Shakespeare or Joyce would have written it, but it'll do. It'll get results and deliver value. A production line can be set up where this content can be mass produced, tested, and measured. http://tc.eserver.org/28957.html http://tc.eserver.org/28957.html The Web is about self-service and self-service is about simplicity and convenience. You've got a small screen and every time you add something extra to that screen you make the world more complicated for your reader. You must make very difficult choices if you want your website to work. You can't serve everybody, and if you try to you will serve nobody. http://tc.eserver.org/26163.html http://tc.eserver.org/26163.html Publishing your website in another language is like managing a brand new website. It demands people who are expert in writing and editing in that language. The standard of English on the Web, for example, is often poor, even for those whose native language it is. It can be embarrassingly bad for websites publishing English as a foreign language. http://tc.eserver.org/23212.html http://tc.eserver.org/23212.html Explores how a web site can improve the way it allows its readers to search and provides nine guidelines for designing a search feature. http://tc.eserver.org/20388.html http://tc.eserver.org/20388.html Too many organizations take an unprofessional approach to the content they publish on the Web. Many web managers still seem to believe that if they get the technology right the publishing will look after itself. Quality publishing requires skill and discipline. Unfortunately, discipline is something many web teams are lacking.